As envisioned by the 2010 Constitution, Kenya implemented a devolved system of government in March 2013, setting up 47 counties with substantial differences in development levels. This study leverages that natural experiment using a difference-in-differences design to estimate whether targeted intergovernmental fiscal transfers improved health outcomes in less-developed counties. Findings inform global debates on fiscal federalism, decentralization, and health system performance.
Research · Healthcare Policy & Strategy
Do Targeted Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Improve Health Outcomes? Evidence from Kenyan Decentralization
A difference-in-differences analysis of the impact of Kenya's 2013 devolution on health outcomes — and what it implies for fiscal federalism in health systems globally.
Lawrence P.O. Were
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December 20, 2024
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Journal article
Full Citation
Thapa, B. B., Rahman, M., Were, L., Wamai, R., & Galárraga, O. (2024). Do targeted intergovernmental fiscal transfers improve health outcomes? Evidence from Kenyan decentralization using the difference-in-differences technique. Health Research Policy and Systems, 22(1), 172. PMID: 39707406